The X Gene
by Pichelle
Summary: What if Buffy Summers hadn't been just a slayer?This takes place in a world where Slayers and mutants coexist... What's in store for our heroine? just try reading it...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One 

Miss Buffy Summers

"Buffy try keep in control." A curly haired mother told her teenage, daughter, Buffy as she exited the car. Buffy gave a bit of a smile looking away.

"I remember mom, new school, new start with zero super powers or violence. Trust me! I'm fifteen, I'm completely in control!" She grinned flashing her pearly whites, before turning towards Sunnydale high. Her smile dropped "If only I could trust me." She sighed before heading up the stairs towards the front door.

Just as she'd made it up the stairs she found herself crashing into someone. "Wow, sorry about that." She laughed kneeling down to pick up her books, unaware of the brunet male she'd entranced. "Do I know you?" He asked in awe of her looks.

"Um, probably not, I'm Buffy, I'm new." She told him. "See you around or something." She smiled before continuing towards the school. The brunet blinked snapping out of his trance before realizing he was holding something of hers. "Hey wait! You dropped your… pointy stick?"

It didn't take long for Buffy to make friends; she walked out of her third period class with a tall, popular brunette named Cordelia.

"So do you have lunch right now?" Cordelia questioned the shorter blond.

"Yep."

"Great, so you can go down to the library, which is just down that hall to your left. You should be able to get some books to help you catch up from there. And then you can catch up with us. We'll teach you how to get around the school and who to hang with, and who not to." Cordelia said, giving a distinct look towards a redhead in a big, pink sweater covered with daisies who immediately looked down in discomfort.

Buffy entered a large, empty, library, filled with books. She bent over the checkout counter in search of a librarian. "Hello?" She called a moment before straightening up. "Hello." Came a replied.

Buffy gasped in surprise, but calmed seeing to was only a stuffy looking British, librarian, with large reading glasses perched on his nose. "Hi." She said a bit testily on account of the surprise. "I'm new to Sunnydale high, and I was looking for-" A smile quickly stretched across his face before he cut her off.

"I know exactly what you're looking for!" He announced ducking down and returning with a thick, ancient looking book, and dropping it on the counter before her. Her hazel eyes widened, and she took a step backwards, rubbing her palms against her small, silky skirt. The word 'Vampyr' was inscribed in gold on the brown leather cover. "No… No, that's not what I'm looking for." She told him ill at ease. He looked down at the cover "Oh I'm sorry. Uh, what was it-" He stopped speaking at the sound of the door swinging shut.

That evening Buffy sat before the television watching the news. "These mutants are dangerous! They have inconceivable powers, and without being able to recognize them the-"

"Buffy!" Her mother called as the sound of her footsteps neared the living room. Buffy quickly straightened up and switched the channel to a soap opera. "Buffy there you are. Look at this." She sighed heavily. Buffy bit her lips trying not to laugh. Her mother's curly, blond hair was so short it was now an Afro.

"Nice look mom, maybe next week you could try out some dreads." She remarked.

"Haha." She laughed dryly. "I was in such a good mood after work today about this new start, it was so exciting, so I decided to get a hair cut to go with the whole 'new thing' and unfortunately I chose a really bad stylist." She took in a deep breath. "There's no way in hell I'm going into some place and asking for smoothing gel with this on my head; you're the girl, get going." She announced.

"Great plan mom, only I don't know where the nearest salon is." She pointed out. Her mother smiled before holding up a small piece of paper.

"Address."

Buffy had been walking down the dark street for a while; she paused a moment rolling her eyes as she pulled her baby blue jacket closer to herself before deciding to turn into the ally to her right. "Okay, you can quit the stalker routine, I know you're there." She announced. "Now come out so I can kill you." She instructed. She raised her eyebrows when the man showed himself. "Tall, dark and handsome. Young girls must be easy for you, too bad I know what you are." She remarked raising her fists. "It's not what you think." He told her, just as she delivered a powerful kick sending him to the ground.

She looked down at him with her boot pressed into his chest. "What should I think?" She demanded.

"You're standing on the mouth of hell, the harvest is coming." He looked up at her with wide innocent brown eyes. She looked back at him intensely.

"I can't read your mind. Why can't I read your mind?" She demanded.

"What?" He asked. She removed her foot from his chest and paced away.

"Well I guess I never tried to read one… What do you want?" She demanded. By this time the man had gotten up "Don't try and trick me, I'll kill you." She warned becoming defensive again.

"I'm a friend." He said tossing something at her. She caught it reflexively. It was a black velvet box. She looked back up at him with a jeer. "What if I don't want a friend?" She demanded.

"I never said I was yours." He replied, before walking off coolly into the night and disappearing into the blackness. Buffy looked after him a moment before opening the small black box. Inside sat a shiny cross on a thin silver chain. She lifted it out graciously.

Buffy exited the salon with a small white bag in hand, pleased that her mission had been fulfilled. She sighed dreaming of getting home and being able to give herself that bubble bath she'd been dreaming of ever since she'd gotten into the little brawl in the ally. The last thing she wanted was to be the weird, new, stinky dirty girl. It had tarnished her popularity last time…

Unfortunately her dreams of the bubble bath were put on hold when a redhead fell into her arms. Suddenly she felt it. Her eyes grew large at the sight of the vampire with his fangs sunk into a boy's neck, while another one beat at it in horror. She quickly straightened up the girl before launching into action. She rolled him off of the boy only to find herself under the pale creature. "This was not how this was supposed to go." He grinned baring his fangs, coming in for the kill only to hiss and writhe away at the sight of the shiny, silver cross adorning her neck. Buffy acknowledged her gift by squeezing it gently in thanks before flipping up to her feet.

"Hey, uh, Buffy!" called the guy who'd been beating at the vampire. Buffy turned to find him next to the redhead who was cradling the victim. "You dropped this at school!" he told her tossing her, her stake. She caught it just as the vampire jumped at her. She ducked letting it fly over her before turning and kicking it off its feet. He struggled to get to its feet but it seemed to be pinned down. Buffy plunged the stake into its chest. "So much for Buffy in control." She murmured before straightening up and dusting off her dark pants.

Now she looked at the people she'd just rescued, she recognized them from Sunnydale high. The brunet she'd run into on her way into the school, and the redhead had been the girl Cordelia had looked at disdainfully. "Stay awake Jesse." The redhead pleaded the boy laying her arms. "Oh my God, Oh my God! What do we do?!" Panicked the redhead. Buffy looked around in worry, hoping no one had seen her while she'd been in action, while trying to think clearly.

"Uh, Um, uh call for an ambulance!" She instructed.

"Right, ambulance, no worries Will, I'll go call and ambulance I've got a quarter. Um only what do I tell them? Some scary, mutant, vampire jumped out at us and bit our friend?" He asked.

"Not a mutant." Buffy bit out, "It was just a vamp." She corrected. The pair only stared at her. She shook her head. "Tell them a rabid dog, jumped out and attacked your friend okay. I-I have to get home, I'm not supposed to being involving myself with these… things." She announced before beginning to walk away.

"Wait!" Called the brunet. "Buffy!" She stopped walking, and slowly turned to face them. "Can't you stick around a while longer?" He asked giving her a goofy, nervous smile. "I mean you seem to know what to do… and in case a pal or two of his decides to come around looking for him…" He pressed his lips together shrugging. "They won't. They generally tend to hunt alone, and if they don't they'd show up in a pack." She told them before turning away again.

Buffy stood next to Willow the redhead and Xander who was the boy she'd run into. Rest of the school was surrounding her as well but she felt distant. The Principal was talking about Jesse; he'd passed away the night of the attack. She couldn't help but wonder if that was her fault. If she'd been prepared it may have been different, if she'd accepted her responsibilities and not run from them Jesse may have lived. But then again it was because of this that she'd caused her parents to separate. This caused so much trouble. Destruction and death followed her no matter what happened, no matter who she tried to be. Her hazel eyes welled with tears, and she slid her sunglasses over her eyes to conceal her sorrow.

The memorial ended. She turned towards the two friends "I'm sorry about what happened to Jesse. I wish I could have done something more but I failed." She frowned before beginning to turn away. "Hey." Willow said gripping her shoulder, causing her to turn back towards them. "Buffy, we don't blame you for what happened last night. It was scary and traumatizing, and something we probably won't forget even after a couple years of therapy and we still can't believe that something so terrible could happen to one of our friends, but it was totally not your fault. If anything you saved us. After Jesse who knows, we could've been next." Willow told her. "You would have been next." Buffy blurted. "And it was my fault, it was my job. I shouldn't have let it have happened." She announced, before turning on her heel and storming away.

"She's certainly not a masochist." Xander commented.

Buffy burst into the library looking around finding it empty again. "Alright where are you?!" She demanded pushing her glasses up on her head. There was nothing but anger in her eyes now, and she didn't mind hiding it. "Oh it's you." The librarian said poking his head out from behind a shelf of books.

"So I guess you already know that guy died from a vampire attack. I couldn't save him. I didn't want to save him; I don't want to be a part of this fight. Do you know what could happen if someone sees me pulling any of those moves?! They'll think I'm a mutant! Only mutants fight like me and heal like me, and how the hell do you even know if I'm not just a mutant! Just because…" The librarian cut her off.

"No, you are not a mutant. You are the Slayer, one in all the world, destined to stop the forces of evil. You are from a line of Slayers, you do not have the X gene that the mutants possess." She looked back up at him with sorrow now in her eyes. He softened his voice "The Watcher's council knows how to find The Slayer, they can decipher her from a mutant."

"Well I guess I failed pretty bad at my old school huh? The council's got two watchers on me." She murmured, before taking in a breath wanting to shrug off the intensity of the moment. "Two?" asked the librarian. Buffy pulled herself to sit up on the counter. "Ya, you…" She trailed off lifting a gold stand up nametag that stood on the counter that read 'Rupert Giles' "Mr. Giles… and some weirdly handsome guy who said he was…" She trailed off in thought "Actually he didn't say who he was, aside from 'a friend' and apparently not mine." She shrugged, setting down the gold piece again. "Then again he was a vampire, so how could he be?" She rambled on, not realizing Giles spark of interest at this new information. "But the weird part was he gave me this." She pulled forward the silver cross that hung from her neck. Giles removed his glasses to take a closer look. "It came in handy last night when I almost got bitten…" She whispered looking away as the memory of Jesse dying in Willows arms resurfaced. "A vampire, giving the slayer gifts this is most unusual. Did he know who you were?" Giles questioned.

"I thought so, when his pick up line had something to do with the Mouth of Hell and Harvest things, or do all vampires do that when they like a Slayer?" She mocked.

"Mouth of Hell? Harvest? It seems as if he's given you quite a bit of information. Did he say anything else?" Giles prodded in interest.

"Don't think so."

It didn't take long for them to realize that the 'Mouth of Hell' was commonly known as the Hellmouth, and happened to be right under the very town they lived in. It was in fact a gateway to another dimension where nothing good lived.

"Okay, great so you figured out what the 'Mouth of Hell' is, so what the heck's this Harvest and will I end up with more holes in my neck because of it?" Cordelia demanded pointing at her bandaged neck. The group inhabiting the library consisting of Willow, Xander Giles and of course Buffy could only stare at her. "Because if so, I vote go Buffy kill, kill. That is if it makes it stop, because scars are just not fashionable." Xander chuckled.

"As usual Queen Cordelia can only worry that evil will lower her fashion status in the school." He commented.

"Hey, at least I can go lower Mr. I-need-acne-cream." She retorted.

Cordelia had recently been attacked by a mob of vampires claiming to work for the Master, and from there had decided to join Buffy and her friends meetings, or perhaps more accurately invade. "You know-" Xander's comeback was cut short by Willow's interruption.

"Hey guys, remember how we were all wondering who The Master was?" Willow asked looking around at her friends with worry in her eyes.

"He's the oldest vampire around and this 'Harvest' is about him getting out from underneath a church where he's trapped so he can open 'The Hellmouth' and that requires eating a lot of people, of the human variety, which means killing them, which means killing _them_, lots of them or him."

"Okay Will we get the point." Buffy interrupted.

"No, it's still important!" Willow protested. "He's looking to kill and turn someone in particular 'The Anointed One' he'll help kill the Slayer when the time comes to fight." She lowered her gaze as the library fell silent.

"Okay, easy!" Cordelia piped up. "We kill whoever they try and kill first so they aren't turned!" She smiled proudly. "That way there's no Anointed One." She explained as her smile fell at the looks she was getting. "Or we could just keep killing them instead." She muttered.

"Or we could do what Willow suggested, kill The Master." Giles said.

"But doesn't that mean Buffy dies? Don't we want Buffy to live?" Xander asked the silent audience. "I mean I vote Buffy lives." He said raising a hand. The silence remained.

"Look you guys, don't worry about it, just chill, I'll figure out what to do." The blonde announced. "Let's all just go home and forget about this. Okay?"

Buffy found herself pinned to a wall by two vampires as a blonde vampire neared her. "The Master doesn't want to put up with you or your friend's interference, so we figure, kill the slayer kill the lackey's hopes." She grinned; her face was now only a few inches away.

"You're not going to kill me." Buffy told her, looking into the vampire's feral, golden eyes. The blonde vampire only sneered, but found herself quickly looking down to find her toes barely touching the pavement. Before her eyes could fully widen in surprise she found herself thrown onto the pavement, with a much larger body pinning her. "Angelus." She gasped.

"Darla." He growled in return.

"You disappeared for so long; what they said was true then." She murmured, before switching positions with the off guard vampire.

Buffy had gotten free by now and had dusted the two vampires. Darla quickly picked up on this before taking off into the darkness.

Buffy ran towards the man that had saved her life "Angel are you alright?!" She cried out only to trip and fall into his chest.

"Whoa." Angel said straightening her up, as she blushed in embarrassment. "Ya, I'm good." He replied, looking down into her hazel eyes, as she stared back up equally captivated. Slowly she slid her tinier hand into his larger one. "She seemed really into you, you better walk with me just in case." She said coyly.

Buffy stood at her porch smiling at Angel "So, do I get a goodnight kiss?" She asked looking into his dreamy brown eyes. Angel immediately grew uneasy.

"I-I shouldn't." He protested, looking up to meet her gaze, which was meant to be for a split second, but catching the hurt in her green eyes, he paused trying to explain himself "I'm older than you." He murmured. Buffy moved closer to him.

"How much older?" She asked as her arms began to wrap him, he was far too entranced by her nearing pink lips to protest and before either one of them knew it they were locked in a kiss of passion. Suddenly he pulled away with a growl. "What's wrong?" Buffy asked in concern, forcing him to face her. Her eyes widened at the demon face, which looked back at her with gold feral eyes. Angel was running down the street before she had a chance to snap out of the daze; Although as soon as Buffy had come back to her senses she didn't waste a moment before running after him at full slayer speed. She could feel her pain and anger rising and it felt as if the world around her was trembling, the only problem was she didn't realize it actually _was_. Angel seemed to struggle to keep up his pace, and tripped and fell onto the pavement hard; it almost felt as if he'd been pushed. He shook his head from the fall and rolled over at he sound of nearing footfalls, and soon found the Slayer straddling him with he stake raised. "I was right that night in the alley! You were one of them. I can't believe I trusted you!" She cried furiously as tears began to well in her eyes no matter how hard she tried to fight them back. "When you helped me all those times they were just to win my trust, wasn't it?" She demanded "Are you the anointed one?! Are you here to kill me?!" She demanded suddenly fear was lacing her voice. Angel screamed in pain, it felt as if something was tearing at him burning him from the inside out. Buffy grew aware of the ground trembling the mail boxes flapped open and closed and lights flashed on and of as cars rose off of the ground. "Not again." She whispered, closing her eyes and forcing herself to clam down. She opened her eyes again when Angel's screaming had stopped. He stared up at her with confusion in his eyes, breathing hard. "What was that?" He demanded.

"Don't try and change the subject." She growled clutching her stake more tightly.

"That's right little slayer, you wanna stake this one, he's evil." Came a familiar female voice. Both Buffy and Angel looked up to find the blond vampire from earlier. "Darla." Angel tried to growl but it came out as a grunt.

"Nice to see you again Angelus." She smiled. Her face was human so Buffy could see she was very pretty. "I mean I'm evil and I can tell you he's a heck of a lot worse. Oh the things he's done." She smirked.

"You know each other?" Buffy snarled.

"Me and Angel? We go way back, back to the time when he used to kill little girls like you, little slayers like you. Oh and how he used to torture people like it was art." She had changed her face back into her vampire face. "Buffy," Angel whispered up to her pleadingly. "Run." He ordered. She looked down at him considering whether she should trust him or not but it was too late, everything went dark.

Everything was bleary, Buffy blinked a few times and bright green eyes came into focus. "Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty." Darla smiled "We were beginning to wonder if you would need a kiss from one of our princes to wake up again." She commented motioning towards a small army of lackeys behind her, but still large enough to frighten Buffy. She'd never fought more than three vampires at a time and even then she'd had help. She yanked at her hands but found they were bound above her head by chains; her feet were also bound together but by tape. "I sensed the other vampires." Buffy turned to find Angel bound as well.

"I thought of a fun way to deal with you two." Darla smiled. "Since my dear Angelus here is all tortured by his soul, and you Slayer, by some twisted fate have come to love him, you wouldn't mind helping him lose such a pesky thing? Now would you?" She asked. Buffy glared at him while Angel could only stare in horror. "There's no way you could do that Darla, the gypsies cursed me-" He began.

"That's the romour." She cut him off "And you know what else romour says lover?" She asked her lips just centimetres away from his. Buffy was angry with Angel for being a vampire, but even as this vampire came intimately close she could feel her blood boil. Angel flew back his chains breaking the process. Darla stared after him in shock "What the fuck?!" She demanded.

Buffy's eyes were wide "They're only slayer powers." She told herself.

While the vampires were distracted by Angel's sudden flight Buffy broke her chains and freed her legs. Vampires quickly became dust, and the only one left standing was Darla. "You won't dust me child." She growled backing away. She managed to kick the stake from Buffy's hand and tackled her down to the ground. "You want to know what the secret is to popping Angels' soul out?" She asked, looking down at Buffy with cold golden eyes.

"No she doesn't." Angel growled coming up behind her.

"Who's asking you?" Darla hissed sending an arm at him causing him to fall back. "One true moment of happiness." She grinned toothily, bringing her face uncomfortably close to Buffy's. "Guess what would make any man happy." She said gyrating her hips purposefully. Buffy's eyes widened at the blond vampires lewdness. "Well since you'll be dead you won't get to do _it_ anymore," She grinned at her pun. "But don't worry I'll do it for you." Buffy's eyes flashed furiously and Darla screamed in pain as the feeling of being burned from the inside overwhelmed her. Darla burst into flames and became ash. Buffy flopped back down flat on the ground. She had just dusted a vamp with the sheer power of her mind.

"Where is she?!" Angel demanded jumping to his feet only to find Buffy lying on the ground of an abandoned warehouse.

"She went poof." Buffy murmured.

"Are you alright Buffy?" Angel asked noticing the distance in her eyes as he quickly came to help her up.

"Fine I guess." She replied. A thought suddenly entered Angel's mind.

"You don't still want to kill me do you?" He questioned.

"You have a soul…" Buffy murmured. "You're a good vampire." She murmured. Her eyes were glossy with tears again, but this time she wasn't going to cry. Kissed him on the mouth. "I'm so glad." She smiled, brushing a tear before it fell.

"Me too." Angel replied.

A man sitting in a wheelchair reading a book paused and shut his eyes. "It's her." He murmured.

"Are you sure about this Chris?" asked a Singaporean woman in her mid-forties, as she pushed the man in the wheelchair, who was approximately the same age.

"Nice to know you have faith in me, Mattea." He remarked.

"I trust you Chris." Mattea smiled ringing the doorbell of the summery house that they stood before. An attractive, woman with curly, blond hair opened the wooden door.

"Hello, can I help you?" she asked looking between the strangers at her doorstep.

"Mrs. Summers I presume?" Chris spoke up.

"Yes, are you friends of Hank's?" She asked motioning behind herself.

"No, I'm Professor Smith and my companion here is Mattea Tan, and we're actually here to speak to you about Miss Buffy Summers." Chris explained.

"Yes, we heard about her being special." Mattea agreed. The blond woman's eyes were wide.

"Look, leave her alone, she's just a 12 year old girl! Whatever you think is the matter with her…"

"No, Mrs. Summers you don't understand we want to help her." Mattea cut her off. Mrs. Summers could only stare between them, unsure of what to make of them. "If you don't mind, we'd like to speak with her before I can offer my help." Chris said just before the sound of breaking glass was heard in the background. The woman bit her lip.

"And it just exploded! Like bang!" Willow asked as Xander stared in interest.

"Well it was more like a Zzzzbkshzzzz!" Buffy corrected.

"That's great!" Xander exclaimed just as Cordelia stopped by.

"I hope this 'great' has something to do with those vampires because I just stopped here next to your loser group where rest of the school population can see me, being with your loser group." She commented.

"Gee Cordelia what an honour, and yes Buffy can dust vampires with the power of her mind." He said wiggling his fingers mysteriously. "I wonder if she can do the same to you."

"Shut up Xander." Cordelia replied. "That's great news, right? That means you can just vaporise the Master from right here with your brain and he won't have the chance to kill you before you kill him, unless he can make _you_ explode with the power of his mind…" she trailed off.

"It's not that easy." Buffy replied. "I can't really control it, I've never really been able to control it."

"Oh super." Cordelia sighed. "Well I think people are starting to gossip now so I'm going to be away from you guys now." With that Cordelia marched away.

"It's unheard of." Giles announced looking up at Buffy from his book. "Slayers are born with super senses such as super strength, and agility and even premonitions but no slayer can kill a vampire with just the power of their mind. This is quite strange."

"_I wonder if perhaps we should put her in a trance like state to study her mind." _Giles thought, as he putting his cup of tea to his lips.

"What! No! No putting me in a trance!" Buffy protested. Giles looked at her in surprise.

"I'm quite certain I did not say that out loud since I was sipping at my tea as I thought that." He told her. "Are you reading my thoughts?" He demanded.

Mattea sat in a cushioned seat next to Christopher, looking at a small dark haired girl. Her body was slight, her nose was small yet pointy, and her eyes were large, hazel and expressive for a girl her age. She was most certainly pretty.

"Hank'll be up in a second, our piping was destroyed last night…" She said looking towards the small girl before looking away quickly. "I'll go get you some refreshments, how rude of me!" she said before turning and exiting the room, wringing her hands nervously. Seconds after she'd left the French doors slammed shut. Mattea and Christopher flinched in surprise.

"They don't need to be a part of this. It makes them act weird." The preteen announced.

"_You're reading our thoughts."_ Christopher broadcast telepathically suddenly. Mattea chuckled.

"She's clever. I like her." Mattea announced.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two Going Home 

Buffy stood before the mansions gates; she had a single brown suitcase in hand that held important possessions such as soap, a tooth brush and her stuffed pig Mr. Gordo. She shut her eyes remembering her last moments in Sunnydale.

"A mutant Slayer. That's-that's quite a challenge for a watcher I'm not sure how to alter your training quite yet." Giles murmured taking off his glasses as he inspected the blond. "You won't have to worry about that, I can't stay here." Buffy replied. Giles looked at her in surprise.

"Buffy you really don't have a choice, you're the Slayer you have a duty and the Mast-"

"Giles I can't stay here, I don't have control of this power. It's Dangerous, and it scares me. I need to be somewhere where someone can help me and it's not here."

Buffy licked her lips opening her eyes again from the memory just as the gates swung open. _"Welcome young lady."_ She heard a voice in her head that she'd heard before years ago.

"Buffy, you've been having trouble fitting in lately with your telekinetic powers budding. You aren't in control of it; you're causing damage and it's becoming apparent." Christopher said.

"People are angry, mommy and daddy are fighting…" The girl murmured, her eyes downcast.

"Well that's why Ms. Tan and I are here. We can help you hone your powers. We've started a school for the gifted. For people like you, and us." This caused Buffy to stare at them with a curious intensity. "You can read minds too, and she can control metal." Mattea smirked in response.

"Would you like to come with us?" She asked the brunette. Buffy smiled in return just as the French doors were rattled.

Buffy walked through the gates and surveyed the front yard of the school. It was wide and open a long pathway extended towards the mansions tall staircase, and Buffy slowly began walking towards it with a heavy heart.

"But what about the Master Buff? You aren't just gonna leave us with him… I mean if he opens the Hellmouth it's not gonna take long for rest of the world to go down with Sunnydale." Willow told her best friend nervously.

"I know Will, but I'm leaving you in good hands." Buffy smiled comfortingly rubbing the girl's arm. Xander's head snapped up at that, he'd been staring at the ground at hearing the news that the current love of his life was already planning to skip town. "Whose good hands would those be?" He asked.

"Angel." She replied.

"Angel's a vampire." He spat.

"Angel has a soul. He's good; and besides don't you remember the prophecy? I'll die if I take on The Master. Didn't you vote that I live?" She asked when Xander didn't reply.

"Does Angel know?" asked Willow.

"So soon." Angel asked taking in the blond beauty that stood before him. He didn't want to ruin the moment, it seemed like she had dressed up for him. She was in a short black dress and black knee high boots. "I know." She replied; her voice was quiet. "I thought we got really close and I thought that-" She'd been moving closer to him as she spoke. He lightly placed his hands on her shoulders "I love you." He blurted. She held his gaze for a moment.

"Well, uh, talk about the wrong time." She chuckled bitterly breaking the intense stare. "I wish so much that I could stay here and help fight the Master, but this power is just getting scarier and scarier and I guess it's cool when I can just make vampires explode with my mind when they really piss me off but what if the next person to piss me off isn't another evil ex of yours?" She said her voice heavy with tears.

"I understand." Angel told her. "I just wish it didn't happen to be that way." He sighed pulling away to reach into the pocket of his dark jeans. He opened his fisted hand to reveal a small silver ring. "I wanted to give this to you." He told her, as she responded by gingerly lifting the small silver band from his large cold hand. "The crown represents loyalty the hands friendship and the heart… well you know."

"It's beautiful." She whispered.

"Wear it with the heart pointing towards you, it means you belong to somebody." He rose his hand in to reveal the same ring "Like this." She took his hand and brought the ring to her lips kissing it.

"Would you like to come with us?" Mattea asked the brunette. Buffy smiled in return just as the French doors were rattled. Buffy bent her head forward in response, staring intensely at the door. Christopher was the first to realize what she was doing. "Buffy, I think you should let your mother in." He told her nonchalantly. Buffy didn't reply; she seemed much too focused on keeping the door shut.

"What's going on in there!" Mrs. Summers shouted. "Buffy! Buffy, darling, are you alright!" Her mother cried frantically. "What are you people doing?! Hank! Hank! HANK! Get up here!" She shouted.

"Buffy stop it!" Mattea said in worry, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders. Buffy shook her head, letting go just as her father burst through the door wide-eyed and furious. He took in the scene, first spotting Professor Smith in his wheel chair, then Mattea with her hands on Buffy's shoulders. "Get your hands off of her! What were you doing?!" He shouted; his blue eyes were dark with fury. Mattea quickly complied. "Why couldn't we get through that door?!"

"It was a misunderstanding; we're only here to offer to help this young lady-" Professor Smith began.

"What makes you think she needs help?" He demanded calming down slightly, having seen that Buffy was all right, but was still nevertheless angry.

"We know what she is." Mattea tried to explain.

"What she is? She's normal, healthy, twelve-year-old girl is what she is, and I don't know what kind of help you want to provide for her, but I don't think I like it." He told them furiously.

"You're an ignorant jerk!" Mattea exclaimed. "You're daughter's special and you know it. She's better than you, you're only human." She sneered.

"I think you should leave." Mrs. Summers interrupted.

"We told you it was a misunderstanding! You daughter's having trouble controlling her powers, that's all-" This time it was Christopher that cut her off.

"It's alright Mattea. If the Summers' want to turn a blind eye towards this anomaly; even though I've already told Mrs. Summers her daughter is exceptionally powerful for her age, that's their choice. Sooner or later they'll have to realize that they can't handle her."

"Please, just leave. We don't care about this. Whatever's to come we'll deal with it. As a family." The girl's mother pleaded.

Mattea glared a moment longer before taking a hold of Smith's wheel chair and heading for the door.

"If you ever need me, you know where you can find me." The professor said putting a finger to his head in parting to Buffy who hadn't moved from her place on the couch. She didn't respond, but stared wide eyed after the first two people she'd ever met that could understand her, as they left her behind.

Now she stood before the tall brown doors and as if sensing her they slowly swung open. Shrugging she entered cautiously looking around for any sign of life. The mansion was empty and gave off a weird feeling "But then again I'm not exactly the epitome of normal." She reminded herself shaking off the feeling. She suddenly sensed movement from the staircase above. A floating yellow chair with a man she remembered from years ago hovered down to meet her. His hair was still a dark brown colour with wisps of white in it, although he now sported a comb over. His glasses were still a lot larger than the usual kind but they suited him.

"Hi." Buffy said waving slightly. "You were either expecting me or you psychically knew I was at the gates."

"Both actually." Smiled the Professor. "I could sense your powers being used again, they're growing, both in power and out of your control." He commented. "I didn't need to be born psychic to know you'd decide come here within a few years."

"I wanted to." Buffy said. "It's just my parents…"

"Oh I know." He replied.

"Sooo…" She said when suddenly a ramp of ice cut between them and a boy who seemed to be made completely of ice surfed by.

"Jon!" Professor Smith called after him. The boy ramped back and turned from ice into flesh. He appeared to be about eleven of twelve and Latino.

"When this ice melts you're making sure my carpets dry, and I don't care if that means drinking the water off of the floor." He told the boy sternly.

"Drink?" He asked in shock. "Come on Professor, you just taught me how to make these and you think I'm not going to use it?"

"Oh you can use it, just not in my foyer." He replied.

"Aw man." He groaned trudging out of the foyer to find cleaning utensils.

Buffy laughed a bit sensing a slight lightness in the air despite the trouble the boy was in.

"That's Jon Agudelo otherwise known as Iceman, he's one of my first students he just came in a few months ago, second to Tyler Shepherd." Professor Smith explained. "I'll show you to your room." Smith offered. "So far that's all we've got but I'm hoping in time this place'll actually be a safe haven for mutants who need a place." Smith muttered as he guided her up the stairs into a long corridor.

"Seems like a nice enough place." Buffy nodded. "So no girls? Where's uh the woman who controls metal… Ms. Han?" She asked.

"Ms. Tan." Smith corrected as they arrived a tall mahogany door. "Let's just leave it at, we had our differences." He suggested. "Here's your room, make yourself at home, six 'o'clock is training." He called over his shoulder as he hovered away in his yellow chair.

Buffy yanked open the heavy double doors to find a rich looking room mainly carved from wood. A massive window was to her right with thick red curtains framing it and a plush bed sheeted in the same deep red as the curtains was in the centre. But something else caught her attention altogether. She closed the door behind her and set down her suitcase next to the bed before lifting a green dress, which was carefully arranged on the bed. It was full sleeve and had a swooping v-neck, which looked as if it's be pointing just above her cleavage; the dress itself looked about mid-thigh. She spotted what looked like yellow elbow length gloves next to a matching yellow mask and gold belt with a black x emblazoned over the round, red buckle.

She lifted up the strange outfit and carried it to the empty closet. She stared at its emptiness for a while slightly surprised that a closet that was meant to be hers could be so bare. She spotted yellow, knee-high boots before raising an eyebrow; snapping from it she hung the costume on one of the hangers adorning the bar. She sighed looking around the large empty room, it was beautiful and hers but at the same time it was a huge empty space which held no semblance of being hers and it made her feel alone.

She opened her suitcase pulling out Mr. Gordo and looked into his familiar pink, furred face. She stroked his head pulling him to her chest before curling up on the big lush bed. Even the bed made her feel small and alone so she closed her eyes taking in a deep breath squeezing the plushie in her arms in comfort.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three Letting Go 

A young man with a long face and sandy bangs falling into his green eyes walked out of a room next to Jon who was just icing down. He stretched his big, white wings and rolled a shoulder "These Danger room sessions keep getting worse." He commented. "So when is this girl actually going to join us, eh?" He asked turning towards the younger boy. "Smith keeps saying that she's going to be one of the X-men, but she just feels like one of the mutant kids going to classes and then hibernating in her room." He commented making a dopey face.

"Actually she's not going to classes. We can't get her to leave her room ever since she got here." Said Jon. "She must be pretty upset about leaving behind her family. The professor's made me bring her, her meals to her room. She opens the door when I knock sometimes but sometimes, nothing." Shrugged the smaller boy.

Buffy opened her eyes, white light was seeping through the curtains; it was morning. That meant he would come back soon; she wasn't unconscious anymore and that's when he engulfed her. All those strong lonely feelings wrapped her mind, but she could never see anything, it was always dark. Voices fluttered about but none of them spoke to him they were distant and she felt alone. She tried so hard to see but it was as if his vision was bound. She grew frustrated with this loneliness and finally she spoke to him. _"Why can't you see anything? Where are you? Why are you so sad?"_ She curled her fingers in wait. Would he reply? Was this person in her mind even real or was she imagining it.

"_You're real."_ The voice was male and British. _"I thought I made you up to make myself feel better, you never spoke to me but I always felt like there was someone in my head. Or am I just going crazy?" _Buffy felt a tingle of excitement at hearing this response; it made the days she'd spent locked up in her room feeling encompassed by anguish, worthwhile.

"_No, you're not going crazy. I'm Buffy. I have this power, which let's me get in people's minds. I don't know how I got in yours though, are you alright?" _He didn't reply right away and Buffy felt her spirits begin to fall. She thought she'd lost contact.

"_I'm William, I'm in an orphanage. I have been for the past seven years. They wrapped my eyes with bandages because whenever I open my eyes I destroy things." _Buffy was hit with an intense image of a red beam firing at a wall. The hot, red beam was firing from her eyes.

Her eyes snapped open breaking the link she'd had with William's mind. She blinked a few times troubled by the image she'd been hit with and the feelings she'd been experiencing. It felt as if she'd really snapped out of the daze she'd been in for the past couple of days; the feeling of wanting to ease the loneliness, of cuddling Mr. Gordo until the end of time had vanished.

She set the pig aside on the pillow and got off the bed. She ran a hand through her tangled blond hair. "I'm the Slayer, I have to do something." She told herself.

Half an hour later Buffy had brushed her blond tresses until they shone and changed into the only other outfit she'd brought along with her, which consisted of a white v-neck t-shirt and a knee-length, pink, floral skirt and tall leather boots.

She yanked open the double doors to her room and gasped in shock as she sent an angel stumbling back.

Tyler gasped straightening up the tray, which held a glass of orange juice and a sandwich. The Sandwich and its contents were now strewn and some of the orange juice had spilt into the tray and even onto his shirt. He looked back up to find a very pretty girl with a look of horror on her face. He could feel his jaw working but words weren't forming. He realized he'd never really spoken to a girl before, especially none that looked like her and grew even more nervous.

"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed. "I didn't know you were there and I just opened the doors… do you want me to take that from you so you can go wash up?" She asked her features creasing in concern.

"I think I'll be alright." He managed to say with a bit of a laugh. "Lunch." He offered extending the tray towards her.

"Oh, for me. Doesn't Jon usually bring this up?" She asked. Tyler paused a moment, he figured he'd sound like a dope if he told her he'd convinced Jon to let him take up her meals because he wanted to see if the she was as pretty as Jon had claimed. "Today it was my turn." He said instead.

"Oh." She smiled, but still hadn't taken the tray from him, so he shuffled it into his left hand and extended his right. "I'm Tyler Shepherd, but here at the institute they call me Angel."

"Angel." She repeated quietly, searching his eyes for the man she'd fallen in love with. He nodded at her breaking the spell, and she blinked realizing how silly a notion it was; it'd been a mere coincidence. "I'm Buffy." She smiled taking his hand. "I was actually on my way to see the professor, I don't know if I have time for lunch right now, but it was really great of you to bring it up for me." She told him as she twisted her ring vigorously as if to remind herself that she was still in love with a man, or vampire, who was wearing the same ring in devotion to her.

Buffy stood before a large round metal door with an X engraved on it. Angel had walked her to it; apparently the professor was inside. "We can't exactly go inside, the eye scan only reads the Professor." Angel explained.

"Eye scan; pretty hi-tech." Buffy commented.

"Well the Professor comes from a pretty rich family, heh." Angel explained rubbing the back of his head feeling a bit nervous still. She was small and slight in appearance, but she was also female and very pretty and he still couldn't get over that.

The round door twisted pulling apart to allow the Professor to hover out of what looked like a large metal room. The doors promptly shut after him "Well it's nice to see that you're awake." Professor Smith commented upon seeing her.

"Ya, I really need to talk to you about something." Said Buffy.

"Then let's talk." Smith agreed as he began down the hall; Buffy and Tyler quickly flanked him.

"I know I've been a real recluse ever since I got here, and at first I thought it was because _I_ felt lonely because I wanted to be by myself, but I was in someone's mind; I tapped into someone else's feelings and they were so… powerful; they kept me in that room for nearly a week."

"Do you know anything about this person?" asked the professor as they boarded an elevator. "Aside from his feelings that is."

"It's a he, his name's William, he never gave me a last name… and he's an orphan and I think he's a mutant. His eyes are bandaged; he sent me one of his memories, when he opens his eyes some kind of destructive beam shoots out. And he's British! So he's in some British orphanage. We have to go to England and get him!" She announced as they began walking through the school.

"You want us to fly to another continent to find a mutant in an orphanage, whose first name is all you know? Do you even know what he looks like?" Tyler asked.

"No. But isn't the point of this place to try and help people in trouble, help mutants in pain? William is in serious pain!"

"He's in England and we don't know enough about him, it just isn't convenient." Tyler told her and immediately regretted it. Her hazel eyes had turned green and piercing. She had stopped walking "Since when was helping people about convenience?" She demanded. Before Tyler could decide upon how he should respond the Professor spoke up. "I have an appointment with the MP about the mutant registration act for Ontario. We can't go in search of this orphan right now but we can try and find out more about him after I'm done with this."

Buffy nodded her head reluctantly. "What's an MP?" She asked. Smith sighed, "I forgot I'm surrounded by American's." He said in a slight growl. Tyler smiled. "We Americans'll have you eating burgers watching football and enjoying good ol' violence in no time." He then turned to the small blond "He hates the stars and stripes."

"It's not that I hate the stars and stripes. You're government is just especially stupid to put it frankly." Smith replied. "An MP is the Member of Parliament, and in this case he one who represents Ontario; Mr. Mcguinty. Would you like to accompany me on this trip? It may be a good experience for you to meet with people of such stature." Buffy considered for a moment before agreeing.

"Alright, I'll drag Jon along as well. Hopefully it'll be more helpful to the brat than humiliating for me." He muttered. "Tyler, you're in charge of the school until we get back. So if I come back to find my Mansion burned down I have someone to blame."

Jon had kept Buffy company throughout the entire drive, with the Professor's occasional quip remarks. He didn't actually come off as much as a brat as Professor Smith made him out to be, even despite her first impressions of him. Jon didn't quite have a charming personality, though he was friendly, but she could tell he was going to grow up to be a pretty-boy, charm or not.

The car stopped in front of a big house, nothing quite as large as the mansion, but it certainly wasn't cheap. Jon held the door open for Buffy before opening the door for the Professor.

The entrance double doors were opened by a woman with rust coloured locks piled on her head, she was richly dressed in a navy blue skirt and blazer and pearls around her neck and gold jewelled rings adorning her fingers. "Good afternoon Mrs. McGuinty." Smiled the professor.

"Oh hello Professor Smith, I see you've brought some of you children with you." She smiled warmly, moving aside to allow them to enter. She led them into the large off white guest room "You'll have to forgive my husband he's…

I know that's not a proper ending… but it'll have to do for now.


End file.
